In communities north of Denver, residents are pitching in to help teachers and administrators as the Vrain school District tries to solve a $13.8 million budget shortage blamed on mismanagement. “We’re worried about our teachers and principals, and we really don’t want to lose them because of this,” one parent said. “If we can help ease their financial burden, we will.”
Teachers are grateful, but I know it may be years before the district is solvent(有综合能力的). They feel really good about the parent support, but they realize it’s impossible for them to solve this problem.
The 22,000-student district discovered the shortage last month. “It’s extraordinary. Nobody would have imagined something happening like this at this level,” said State Treasurer Mike Coffman.
Coffman and district officials last week agreed on a state emergency plan freeing up a $9.8 million loan that enabled the payroll(工资单) to be met for 2,700 teachers and staff in time for the holidays.
District officials also took $1.7 million from student-activity accounts of its 38 schools.
At Coffman’s request, the District Attorney has begun investigating the district’s finances. Coffman says he wants to know whether district officials hid the budget shortage until after the November election, when voters approved a $212 million bond issue for schools.
In Frederick, students’ parents are buying classroom supplies and offering to pay for groceries and utilities to keep first-year teachers and principals in their jobs.
Some $36,000 has been raised in donations from Safeway. A Chevrolet dealership donated $10,000 and forgave the district’s $10,750 bill for renting the driver educating cars. IBM contributed 4,500 packs of paper.
“We employ thousands of people in this community,” said Mitch Carson, a hospital chief executive, who helped raise funds. “We have children in the school, and we see how they could be affected.”
At Creek High School, three students started a website that displays newspaper articles, district information and an email forum. “Rumors about what’s happening to the district are moving at lighting speed,” said a student. “We wanted to know the truth, and spread that around instead.”
46. What has happened to the Vrain School District?
A. A huge financial problem has arisen.
B. Many schools there are mismanaged.
C. Lots of teachers in the district are planning to quit.
D. Many administrative personnel have been la
id off.
47. How did the residents in the Vrain School District respond to the budget shortage?
A. They felt somewhat helpless about it.
B. They accused those responsible for it.
C. They made their efforts to help solve it.
D. They demanded a thorough investigation.
48. In the view of State Treasurer Mike Coffman, the educational budget shortage is ________.
A. unavoidable B. unbelievable C. insolvable D. invisible
49. Why did Coffman request an investigation?
A. To see if the financial problem was covered up on purpose
B. To find out how serious the consequence of the case would be.
C. To make sure that the school principals were innocent.
D. To stop the voters approving the $212 million bond issue.
50. Three high school students started a website in order to ________.
A. attract greater public attention to their needs
B. appeal to the public for contributions and donations
C. expose officials who neglected their duties
D. keep people properly informed of the crisis
Two years ago my grandmother was going to turn 75. My family discussed what the best way to celebrate was. Should we throw her a party? Should we take her on a trip? We remembered that she had touched so many people's lives, and there were so many people for her to consider. Then someone got the idea that we should include everyone in the celebration by turning it into a tribute(献礼) to my grandmother.
We secretly sent out letters to the people in Grandmother's address book and asked them to send a letter with a memory that they had shared with her. People sent us letters with poems, stories and pictures. The deep feeling that was shared through the response (回应) surprised us. We compiled(编辑)these letters into a memory book and amazed her with it on the morning of her birthday.
The unusual thing about my grandmother's friends was not the number that she had, but the connection they shared. In many ways this book of friendship was the greatest achievement of my grandmother's life.
I believe that developing true friendships is one of the most important things that anyone can do in one's lifetime. It is not a matter of the number of friends one has, but the quality of the bonds. If one has had at least one true friendship before dying, then one can say one has lived a successful life. I have made many friends and I believe I have begun to develop the same types of friendships my grandmother kept up over her lifetime. I only hope that I will be as successful as she has been. How did the author's family celebrate Grandmother's birthday ?
| A．They took her on a trip across the country. |
| B．They gave her a memory book of friendship. |
| C．They invited all her friends to her birthday party. |
| D．They asked all her friends to send her cards. |
When receiving her birthday gift, the author's grandmother probably felt _____.
| A．disappointed and lonely | B．sorry and sad |
| C．surprised and pleased | D．nervous and excited |
The underlined word “bonds” in the last paragraph probably means________
| A．relationships | B．works | C．successes | D．celebrations |
According to the passage, the author probably agrees that _____.
| A．the more friends you have, the better |
| B．friends are more important than family |
| C．understanding leads to greater success |
| D．true friendship is very important to us |
Which of the following words can best describe the author's grandmother ?
| A．Famous | B．Great. | C．Polite | D．Pleasant |
If cars had wings, they could fly and that just might happen, beginning in 2012．The company Terrafugia, based in Woburn, Massachusetts, says it plans to deliver its carplane, the Transition, to customers by the end of 2012．
“ It's the next ’wow’ vehicle,” said Terrafugia vice president Richard Gersh．“Anybody can buy a Ferrari, but as we say, Ferraris don't fly．”
The car plane has wings that unfold for flying－a process the company says takes one minute-and fold back up for driving． A runway is still required to take off and land．
The Transition is being marketed more as a plane that drives than a car that flies, although it is both．The company has been working with FAA to meet aircraft regulations, and with the National High way Traffic Safety Administration to meet vehicle safety regulations．
The company is aiming to sell the Transition to private pilots as a more convenient and cheaper way to fly．They say it saves you the trouble of trying to find another mode of transportation to get to and from airports: You drive the car to the airport and then you're good to go．When you land, you fold up the wings and hit the road．There are no expensive parking fees because you don't have to store it at an air port-you park it in the garage at home．
The carplane is designed to fly primarily under 10,000 feet．It has a maximum takeoff weight of 1,430 pounds, including fuel and passengers．Terrafugia says the Transition reduces the potential for an accident by allowing pilots to drive under bad weather instead of flying into marginal（临界） conditions．
The Transition's price tag: $ 194,000．But there may be additional charges for options like a radio, transponder or GPS．Another option is a fullplane parachute．
“If you get into a very awful situation, it is the necessary safety option,”Gersh said．
So far, the company has more than 70 0rders with deposits． “We're working very closely with them,
but there are still some remaining steps, ” Brown said．We can learn from the first paragraph that．
| A．carplanes will be popular in 2012 |
| B．people might drive a carplane in 2012 |
| C．both Transition and Ferrari can take off and land |
| D．Richard Cersh is the vice president of Massachusetts |
It takes the carplane one minute to．
| A．fold and- unfold its wings | B．unfold wings for flying |
| C．land in the airport | D．meet flying safety regulations |
According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
A．The carplane needs a runway to take off and land．
B．To meet aircraft regulations, the company has been working with FAA．
C．The carplane may fly as high as normal planes．
D．People can park the carplane in the garage at their home．The underlined word "it" in the last but one paragraph refers to．
| A．the radio | B．the transponder |
| C．the GPS | D．the fullplane parachute |
What's the best title for the passage?
| A．Cars With Wings May Be Just Around The Comer |
| B．Which To Choose: A Ferrari Or A CarPlane? |
| C．A More Convenient And Cheaper Way To Fly |
| D．Cars With Wings Can Fly As Fast As Plane |
According to a study by SallieMae, 84 percent of undergraduate students have credit cards, and by the time they are seniors, they have accumulated US $ 4,100 in debt, on top of whatever student loans they may have taken out．
Credit cards are the most convenient form of payment, and they are aggressively marketed to college students．Reportedly, a typical college student carries 4．6 credit cards and US $ 3,173 in credit card debt．
Credit cards seem to be a fact of life, not just student life． In the long term, using a credit card properly and paying off the balance can help establish a card history and increase your credit score, which will come in handy when you need an important loan, for a house or car, for example．Your credit score can affect even unrelated things like insurance rates．Credit cards also offer more protection for users than debit cards（借记卡）．Under federal law, the credit card holder is only responsible for the first US $ 50in fraudulent（欺诈的） purchases in cases of theft or loss．However, debit card users are responsible for the first US $ 500．
SallieMae found some good news in the fact that two thirds of students had discussed credit issues with their parents, but 84 percent said they needed more information．Those who didn't get any guidance were more likely to be surprised when they found out how much they owed．
While credit cards offer the easiest access to money, they make it easy to live outside your means．Less than a fifth of students surveyed paid off their balance every month, and carrying a balance brings finance charges, sometimes at a very high interest rates．
SallieMae found that almost 40 percent of students chose their first credit card based on direct mail, which is probably why students get credit card offers in the mail． But when the credit card offers flow in, be sure that you read the fine print．Offers of low or no interest rates can disappear, leaving you a debt that climbs beyond your ability to pay it off．What does the first paragraph imply?
| A．Most of the senior students are shocked to see how much they owed． |
| B．Students can only take out loans from credit cards． |
| C．Most of students' loans come from credit cards． |
| D．Credit cards have a bad effect on college students． |
The underlined part "come in handy" in the third paragraph probably means “”
| A．bring trouble | B．make mistakes |
| C．be important | D．be useful |
According to SallieMae, what is the possible reason why students get so many credit card offers in the mail?
| A．Many students' first credit card is based on direct mail． |
| B．it costs the banks little to mail out credit cards． |
| C．Students don't like to go to the bank to open a credit card account． |
| D．Banks have no other way to let students use their credit cards． |
What is the theme of the third paragraph?
| A．The advantages of using debit cards． |
| B．The similarities between credit cards and debit cards． |
| C．The advantages of using credit cards． |
| D．Credit cards are the most convenient form of payment． |
According to SallieMae, how many students had not discussed credit issues with their parents?
| A．l/3 | B．2/3 | C．l/4 | D．3/4 |
Riding School:
You can start horse - riding at any age． Choose private or group lessons any weekday between 9:00a．m．and 8: 30 p．m．（3: 30 p． m． on Saturdays）．There are 10 kilometers of tracks and paths for leisurely rides across farmland and open country． You will need a riding hat．
Opening Hours: Monday through Friday: 9:00 a．m．－8:30 p．m．
Phone: （412） 396 -6754 Fax: （412） 396 -6752．
Sailing Club:
Our Young Sailor’s Course leads to the Stage I Sailing qualification．You'll learn how to sail safely and the course also covers sailing theory and first aid．Have fun with other course members, afterwards in the clubroom．There are 10 weeHy two - hour lessons （ Tuesdays 6 p．m．～8 p．m．）．
Opening Hours: Tuesdays: 6:00 p．m．－8:00 p．m．
Phone: （412） 396 -6644 Fax: （412） 396 -6644
Diving Centre:
Our experienced instructors offer one - month courses in deep - sea diving for beginners．There are two evening lessons a week, in which you learn to breathe underwater and use the equipment safely．You only need swimming costume and towel． Reduced rates for couples．
Opening Hours: Monday and Friday: 6: 30 p．m．－8:30 p．m．
Phone: （412） 396 -6312 Fax: （412） 396 -6706
Medical Center:
The staff of the Medical Center aim to provide convenient and comprehensive medical care to students and staff of the university． The center is well equipped and the staff here are trained to deal with a broad range of medical problems． Both female and male doctors as well as nursing staff are available for consultation．Also, all kinds of medicines are sold here and are cheaper for students than other drugstores．
Opening Hours: 24 hour from Monday to Sunday
Phone: （412） 396 -6649 Fax:（412）396 -6648
Watersports Club:
We use a two - kilometer length of river for speedboat racing, and water - skiing, a beginners course consists of ten 20 - minute lessons． You will learn to handle boats safely and confidently, but must be able to swim． The club is in a convenient central position and is open daily from 9:00 a．m to 4: 00 p．m,
with lessons all through the day．
Opening Hours: Mondny through Friday: 9:00 a．m．－4:00 p．m．
Phone:（412）396 -6899 Fax:（412）396 -6890If you want to swim and enjoy activities which are fast and a bit dangerous, you should join．
| A．Watersports Club | B．Medical Centre |
| C．Sailing Club | D．Riding School |
If you want to experience a new activity in the countryside in the mornings, you may fax．
| A．（412）396 - 6648 | B．（ 412）396 - 6706 |
| C．（412）396 - 6752 | D．（ 412）396 - 6876 |
K you are planning to explore the ocean depths． You should attend your lessons at．
| A．24 hour from Monday to Sunday |
| B．Monday through Friday : 7:00 a．m．-10:00 p．m． |
| C．Tuesdays: 6:00 p．m．- 8:00 p．m． |
| D．Monday and Friday: 6: 30 p．m．- 8: 30 p．m． |
You want to do an activity one evening a week and get a certificate in the end, you can go to．
| A．Watersports Club． | B．Diving Center |
| C．Sailing Club | D．Riding School |
Which is NOT the convenience that the Medical Center provides?
| A．Good equipment． | B．Well trained staff members． |
| C．Various less expensive medicines． | D．Nursery for newly - born babies． |
If there's a child in your house who likes pixies（精灵）, nature, or magic, Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure is sure to be a hit． This beautifully animated film is a first class production in every way, and features the familiar voices of Kristin Chenoweth, Anjelica Huston, Jane Horrocks, Lucy Liu, and Raven Symone．The movie offers up an adventure that's easy enough to follow, but complex enough to hold one's
attention, and even throws in a nice little moral about friendship．What can I say? I'm pleasantly surprised．
The promising Mae Whitman voices Tinker Bell herself, a far more dynamic character than we met in Peter Pan．Though Tinker still possesses her fiery temper, it doesn't manifest itself immediately, and takes a backseat to this pixie's many good qualities． As it turns out, Tinker Bell is extremely skilled at tinkering （修补 ）, so she is a natural choice to build a special scepter（拐杖）,for Pixie Hollow's Autumn Celebration．The scepter will hold the moonstone through which the light of the Blue Moon will pass, supplying Pixie Hollow with enough pixie dust for the year ahead．
For days, Tinkers works hard on the perfect scepter design while her good friend Terrence does his best to assist． When Terrence accidentally breaks the Moon Stone, Tinker Bell "explodes and sends him away．One of Tinker's more literal friends finds this extremely concerning, as she doesn't' quite understand
that the outburst was emotional rather than physical - very funny indeed．
After hearing the legend of the lost treasure, Tinker Bell strikes out on her own to find a new Moon Stone．She faces many difficulties and meets new friends along the way, but when Terrence comes to the rescue at Tinker's darkest hour, she realizes the value of a truly loyal friend． Though the film offers a positive message to young viewers, it's the animation that makes Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure stand out．Pixie Hollow is a charming, visually stunning world basked in lush colors．It's so lovely, so detailed, so
three - dimensional that you almost want to step inside．From the first paragraph, we can learn that．
| A．many famous actors acted important roles in the film |
| B．the plot of the film is attractive and easy to understand |
| C．the write feels surprised at the message of friendship in the film |
| D．the film Tinker Bill and the Lost Treasure may disappoint you if you love magic tales |
The underlined word "manifest" in the second paragraph means "_"
| A．occur | B．hide | C．display | D．contradict |
What's the correct order of the following details?
a． Tinker Bell realizes the value of a truly loyal friend．
b．Terrence breaks the Moon Stone by accident．
c． Tinker Bell is determined to build a special scepter．
d． Terrence comes to the rescue when Tinkers was in trouble．
| A．c b d a | B．b．c d a | C．b c a d | D．c d a b |
In the writer's opinion, the characteristics of Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure are the following EXCEPT．
| A．the attractive details |
| B．the lively animation characters |
| C．the three - dimensional animation |
| D．the moving love story between Tinker Bell and Terrence． |
The article picked from a website is a（n）.
| A．movie poster | B．movie review |
| C．introduction to a book | D．person introduction |